Redevelopment coming to Ferren mall
According to The Wall Street Journal:
The now-empty, 4-acre Ferren Mall site will soon be torn down to make way for a mixed-use complex costing between $750 million and $1 billion that is intended to further overhaul the look of downtown New Brunswick.
The plans, according to the Journal call for a new complex that
would total 1.7 million square foot, with about 750,000 square feet of office space and between 500 and 600 apartments that would include both affordable and market-rate units. It also would have about 100,000 square feet of ground- and second-floor retail space.
"Modern corporate centers require places to live, entertainment venues, restaurants and shops to keep its workforce happy and accommodated," in one central location, said Mayor Cahill. "The concept of leaving this city to work will be reversed."
It is part of a larger redevelopment that also includes major changes on Rutgers' College Avenue campus:
Just north of the train station, Rutgers is well under way with a $330 million redevelopment plan on its historic College Avenue campus. Also overseen by New Brunswick Development Corp., the project will include facilities for a new honors college as well as student housing and other classroom space. It also will feature a green plaza area with stores and a jumbo outdoor television screen.
Rutgers is one of the oldest schools in the nation and although the historic buildings make parts of the campus picturesque, a new academic building hasn't been built on the College Avenue campus in about 50 years, said Anthony Calcado, vice president of university facilities and capital planning.
"We're trying to target our investment so it makes a major impact for not just our students and faculty, but to those who are visiting the campus for the first time," he said.
Other developments include the installation of bike lanes in and around the city, including one that will link the College Avenue campus with Douglass Residential College, another Rutgers unit that is a few miles away in New Brunswick. A number of residential projects by private developers for both students and area workers are also under way.
In other New Brunswick news this week:
From New Brunswick Today:
Woman Who May Have Jumped From 12-Story NBPA Parking Garage Worked at RWJ Hospital
New Brunswick to Remove Red Light Traffic Cameras This Year, At Least Temporarily
Woman Reportedly Shot Six Times in Front of Remsen Avenue House For Parolees
From MyCentralJersey.com:
Note: The Raritan River Review is on hiatus for the summer, but will be providing regular digest updates about the city and Rutgers.